How We Use Your Information
📅 Last Updated: October 24, 2024At Dictionary, we believe that language should be accessible, empowering, and respectful of your privacy. This page explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our website, mobile applications, and related services (collectively, the "Services").
We do not sell your personal information. Your data is used exclusively to improve our language tools, personalize your experience, and maintain the integrity of our platform.
Information We Collect
We collect information in three main ways:
- Information You Provide: Account details (name, email), search queries, saved words, custom dictionaries, feedback, and support requests.
- Information Collected Automatically: Device identifiers, IP address, browser type, operating system, usage patterns, search history, and performance logs.
- Third-Party Information: Data from integrated services (e.g., SSO providers, analytics partners) or public language datasets used to enhance definitions.
How We Use Your Information
Your information helps us deliver a secure, personalized, and continuously improving language platform. Specifically, we use it to:
- Process searches, provide definitions, translations, and pronunciation audio.
- Maintain and secure your account, including authentication and recovery.
- Personalize recommendations, word-of-the-day features, and learning paths.
- Analyze usage trends to improve AI models, fix bugs, and optimize performance.
- Communicate important updates, security alerts, and promotional content (with your consent).
- Comply with legal obligations, enforce terms of service, and prevent fraud or abuse.
Data Security & Retention
We implement industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including TLS encryption in transit, AES-256 encryption at rest, regular security audits, and strict access controls.
Retention Policy: We retain your information only as long as necessary to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Account data is retained while active; inactive accounts are anonymized or deleted after 24 months of inactivity.
Your Rights & Choices
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access & Portability: Request a copy of your data in a machine-readable format.
- Correction & Deletion: Update inaccurate information or request deletion of your account and data.
- Opt-Out: Disable personalized advertising, analytics tracking, or non-essential cookies via our privacy settings.
- Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your information for specific purposes, subject to legal constraints.
To exercise these rights, use the in-app privacy dashboard or contact our Data Protection Officer at the email address below. We respond to valid requests within 30 days.
Children's Privacy
Dictionary is designed for general audiences. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or the applicable age of consent in your region). If we learn that we have inadvertently collected data from a child, we will take prompt steps to delete it. Parents or guardians who believe this has occurred should contact us immediately.
Policy Updates
Language evolves, and so do our services. We may update this policy to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. Material changes will be communicated via email, in-app notifications, or prominent website banners. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the latest revisions took effect.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this policy, your data, or our privacy practices, please reach out to our privacy team. We're here to help.
Dictionary Privacy & Data Team
100 Lexicon Drive, Suite 400
San Francisco, CA 94107, USA